| E2N | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Reconnaissanceseaplane |
| Manufacturer | Nakajima Aircraft Company |
| Primary user | Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Number built | 80 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1927-1929 |
| Introduction date | 1927 |
TheNakajima E2N (Type 15) was a Japanesereconnaissance aircraft of the inter-war years. It was a single-engine, two-seat,sesquiplaneseaplane with twin main floats.
The E2N was developed in the 1920s for theImperial Japanese Navy as a short range reconnaissancefloatplane suitable for catapult launch fromcruisers andbattleships.[1] It was a wooden, twin-floatsesquiplane, carrying a crew of two in opencockpits withfolding wings and powered by a Mitsubishi "Hi" liquid-cooled engine. This layout gave better downwards view than theHansa-Brandenburg inspiredmonoplanes proposed byAichi andYokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal, and the design was selected to become Japan's first locally designed shipboardreconnaissance seaplane in 1927. The E2N2 was a training version produced from 1928-1929 that featured dual controls.[2]
The E2N served with the Navy as theNakajima Navy Type 15 Reconnaissance Floatplane (一五式水上偵察機). Eighty examples were produced between 1927-29 by Nakajima andKawanishi; of these, two were bought for civil fishery patrol duties. The Navy machines were withdrawn from front-line units in the early 1930s, with the E2N1 being replaced by theNakajima E4N, and either being reassigned totraining duties or sold to civil buyers.[3] The E2N2 trainer stayed in use a bit longer than the E2N1, where they served with the KasamigauraKōkūtai until 1936.[3][4]
Data fromJapanese Aircraft, 1910-1941[1]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Mikesh, Robert C.; Abe, Shorzoe (1990).Japanese Aircraft, 1910-1941. London: Putnam & Company Ltd.ISBN 0-85177-840-2.
